Chap. VI. 
PEEMATUKE BUKIALS—OPHTHALMIA. 
129 
The diseases most prevalent are the following: pneumonia, 
produced by sudden changes of temperatoe, and other inflamma¬ 
tions, as of the bowels, stomach, and pleura; rheumatism; disease 
of the heart; but these become rare as the people adopt the 
European dress; various forms of indigestion and ophthalmia; 
hooping cough comes frequently; and every year the period 
preceding the rains is marked by some sort of epidemic. Some¬ 
times it is general ophthalmia, resembling closely the Egyptian. 
In another year it is a kind of diarrhoea, which nothing will cure 
until there is a faU of rain, and anything acts as a charm after 
that. One year the epidemic period was marked by a disease 
wliich looked like pneumonia, but had the peculiar symptom 
strongly developed of great pain in the seventh cervical process. 
Many persons died of it, after being in a comatose state for 
many hours or days before their decease. No inspection of 
the body being ever allowed by these people, and the place of 
sepulture being carefuUy concealed, I had to rest satisfied with 
conjecture. Frequently the Bakwains buried their dead in the 
huts where they died, for fear lest the witches (Baloi) should 
disinter their friends, and use some part of the body in their 
fiendish arts. Scarcely is the breath out of the body when 
the unfortunate patient is hurried away to be buried. An ant- 
eater’s hole is often selected, in order to save the trouble of 
digging a grave. On two occasions wliile I was there this hasty 
burial was followed by the return home of the men, who had been 
buried alive, to their affrighted relatives. They had recovered 
while in thefr graves from prolonged swoons. 
In ophthalmia the doctors cup on the temples, and apply to tlie 
eyes the pungent smoke of certain roots, the patient at the same 
time taking strong draughts of it up his nostrils. We found tlie 
solution of nitrate of silver, two or three gTaius to the ounce of 
rain-water, answer the same end so much more effectually, that 
every morning numbers of patients crowded round our house for 
the coUyrium. It is a good preventive of an acute attack when 
poured into the eyes as soon as the pain begins, and might prove 
valuable for travellers. Cupping is performed with the horn of 
a goat or antelope, having a little hole pierced in the small end. 
In some cases a small piece of wax is attached, and a temporary 
hole made tln^ough it to the horn. When the afr is well with- 
